Friday, December 30, 2016

Another Christmas finish!

I won't see me siblings for a few weeks to exchange presents. So I have had fun working on them.

Here is the table runner I have made for my brother and his wife. He is a former vet from the Air Force; and these are leftover fabrics from a quilt I made several years ago.

The pattern was from American Patchwork and Quilting, but can be found on their website All People Quilt. I have always loved this pattern, and finally got around to doing it. I had fun frustrations getting my quilting done. I loved using the wavy stitch from my sewing machine, but got lost going around the block and would travel to the next section. Oops, ( not the word I used at the time). I had to do the frog stitch, " Rip it, Rip it". But it is done, and I like it. My brother always likes my quilts, and reminds me to put on labels,

Requirements:"We'll charge you only two obligations that will make the Log Cabin block and to achieve 16!They will start on January 1 and we ask you two blocks per week! This brings the number of blocks to 8 in a month and 16 in two months! Of course, those who wish to do more can do so without problem."We will as always a point at the beginning of each month. The month of March will be dedicated to quilting."

They have lots of versions; courthouse steps, pineapple, wonky, and shifted to look like curves. Decisions for size, color and emphasis are all up to you.

Even though it is late (deadline was Dec. 1 to sign up) , I have decided to join. Fortunately, after selecting the pattern, I was able to find this Kim Diehl pattern in a book I own Simple Appeal. ( I do have 5 of hers.)

They start the end of January 1 for 2 blocks a week for 8 weeks. It has 16 blocks. But I will not meet the quilting deadline, as I do intend to do the applique.

I sewed my heart out and got the required 20 count of 9 patch blocks. It was a close one, as I only had so much of the red. These will be my centers ; they are 3 inch finished. To get ready cut lots of 1 and1/2 inch log strips.

Black and white backgrounds with diagonal black square down the center bordered by 2 colors.

She loved it; although it was a replacement for the previous one I made her that she spilled foundation on.

Next followed a couple baby quilts I donated. No pictures, just using up juvenile prints I had collected, but not used.

Finally finished this baby quilt for the little one born New Year's Eve. He was premature and didn't come home until end of February. I also made matching curtains of the light aqua stripe.

For my son's new house, I had already made a quilt; so I made 2 20 inch pillows for their couch.

Then I finished a few smaller projects:

They were projects that were mostly done, but needed binding.

I then worked on a project that i always had wanted to do and had seen a friend make.

Then I finished this quilt that had been a block of the month. I used 30s fabrics with a blue emphasis.

Next I made a a tree skirt for my brother who got married.

For Christmas I made stockings for my kids and significant others/ family.

And the last project was a tree skirt:

Now, for the unfinished projects, works in progress, etc. In others words things to finish this year

First off is a round robin I had participated in: It was my first attempt at a feathered star, which turned out amazing given the instructions from Marsha McCloskey's book as well as a lecture from Judy Hasheider. I have done quilting around the stars and setting borders for each row. Just need to add some cross hatching and accents to corners, and such. I have some new tools, I want to use.

Over the summer I added to my stash of 30s and cut lots and lots of 1 and 1/4 inch strips for these heart blocks. The inspiration was online, but I modified it to be a 6 inch block. I finished 40 of them and will do a setting with lots of blank space to do some quilting with templates. This will need to be done for our guild's quilt show in April, the theme for which is 30s.

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I also started a Crabapple Hill pattern: Over the River and Through the Woods.

It doesn't happen often that my spouse remarks on a pattern when he went to a quilt store;

It took several days to trace it carefully with a light box an back with a second layer of fabric.

This will take a long, long time to finish the embroidery before I attack the patchwork and put it together.

This is all I have finished so far. I am using a fine Presencia pearl cotton in a rich brown. I plan to do the patchwork in fall colors.

I also have done a couple small embroidery squares to make a hexagon table topper with a charm pack by Sandy Gervais.

Lastly I have project that I found online by Temecula Quilt Company in California. Several summers ago, they had a small cake block which was 2 and a half inches.

Here is the fuzzy picture of my almost layout. It was once all ready to go and several diagonal seams had been sewed. But something else took precedence.

This is how the layout should look like, but only in gray and white.

Lastly my sister's wall hanging which needs to be done in 2 weeks when I see here. Belated Christmas with my siblings and spouses.

Assorted others First a Christmas wall hanging. 3 inch 9 patches.

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2 donation quilts for babies 8 inch squares comprised of 1 inch strips. and the alternate ones are 1 inch pieces 8 per strip. This was fun to do with bright colors.

BOM : My quilting guild has a BOM each month. You bring in as many blocks as you would like and for each block you get to put your name in the drawing. I have 3 blocks and 3 chances to win about 12 of these made by other members along with a pattern using these blocks somewhere in it.

Each block is 8 and 1/2 inches. The black squares are 2 and a 1/2 inches. The others are 2 and 1/2, 4 and 1/2 inches and 6 and 1/2 inches. All made from odds and ends of colors, some of which were in the scrap bag.

Then I made one for myself to add to a collection of 8 and 1/2 inch BOM blocks ( all fo 3) But these are made with my Kansas Troubles stash.

En Provence mystery....I am pleased to be caught up with all the clues for Bonnie Hunter's mystery. I was getting low on navy blues, and just had to run to the fabric store for some fat quarters. I told the game at the cutting table," Bonnie made me do it." ( wink wink)

Latest clue: only 32 half square triangles

Catching up on 4 patch: I didn't realize I was short about 14.

My blues replace the dark purple; I have used as many Thimbleberries as I had of blue.

I disliked this fabric, not because of the color. It is amazing. But the quality was much thinner than almost all of my other Thimbleberries.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Here is the quilted tree skirt; finished. The final touch was to add a decorative stitch as a garland in gold on the individual trees. Any ideas on how to get the velcro to stick; I even have industrial strength. It is a bear to sew by hand.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

I was fortunate to have a few minutes and didn't feel like tackling a big project. And I needed to catch up on Bonnie Hunter's mystery En Provence.
So her pink is being replaced by red. And the dark purple is being replaced by dark blue. All the colors are from my stash of Thimbleberries.

I am choosing a very low contrast background, one for each color. Yah! Something accomplished.

Saturday, December 17, 2016

I collected several tree skirt patterns until finally deciding on this one for my daughter in law. She loves bright colors. So thought this one from Quilter's World 2015 was perfect. I ordered mottled strips for the bright solids from Connecting Threads, very affordable. It has been in this stage for some time and needs to be quilted this weekend.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

So I started working on the 2nd batch of stockings for the other part of the family.

I purchased 4 stockings, 2 each of red and 2 of white, that are cotton for $4.99 each at JoAnns, and I want to embellish them. I have found another Pinterest idea using felt.

I started by finding one of the stockings my mom had made.

Then I cut out 4 green felt, polyester mittens. After which, I used a white pencil to trace letters and embroidered them in red or ecru floss in a chain stitch, I accidentally ended up leaving 2 felt mittens together. See close up to notice the stitching. followed by doing the blanket stitch around the edges to make the edges look neater, while it added a spark of color. They are now glued on. Good start for today.

Oh, and don't try to iron polyester felt. It sticks to the iron. Fortunately, I had some of the cream, glue that rub on it with a soft cloth while the iron is hot. It worked like a charm.